Lent is a period of 40-days leading to Easter when we practice letting go in order to receive from God. Sometimes this letting go looks like giving up something very specific - sweets, coffee, etc - and our cravings for those things might draw us to God. Sometimes the letting go is a more internal, daily practice as we listen to the Holy Spirit. Regardless,  Lent is both a time of more intense spiritual practice and a season of open-handed surrender rather than tight-fisted discipline.

During Lent, Sundays are feast days. Days when we celebrate mini-resurrections on the way to the resurrection of Christ. For Lent this year at Timberline Old Town & Everyday Joe’s, we will enter into these mini-resurrections through the five senses in a series called Awakenings. The senses are signs of life, and we wonder what would happen if we were to be intentionally awake to them. This week, we enter into the sense of sight.

This particular Sunday as also a Movement Sunday. When a month has a fifth Sunday, we take it as an opportunity to break our normal pattern of worship, with the hopeful fruit being a breaking of tired patterns in our lives.

  

INVOCATION

The following poem by Malcolm Guite was inspired by the account in Mark of Jesus healing the deaf & mute man. Please receive it as our Lenten invitation to practice resurrection:

"Be Opened" by Malcolm Guite

Be opened. Oh if only we might be!
Speak to a heart that’s closed in on itself:
‘Be opened and the truth will set you free’,
Speak to a world imprisoned in its wealth:
‘Be opened! Learn to learn from poverty’,
Speak to a church that closes and excludes,
And makes rejection its own litany:
‘Be opened, opened to the multitudes
For whom I died but whom you have dismissed
Be opened, opened, opened,’ how you sigh
And still we do not hear you. We have missed
Both cry and crisis, we make no reply.
Take us aside, for we are deaf and dumb
Spit on us Lord and touch each tongue-tied tongue.

SONGS WE SANG

Deliverance by Strahan

Skeleton Bones by John Mark McMillan

Who You Say I Am by Hillsong

Oh How We Love You by United Pursuit

TEXT

Matthew 21:6-11

TAKEAWAYS

1 Reflect on a time you felt especially connected with the people around you.

2 Be curious.

3 Reflect on a time when you said "wow" to the mystery of Christ.

PRACTICE

This week, practice The Daily Examen. Ask the Holy Spirit moments in your day of connection and moments of "wow" to the mystery, whether you missed them or not.

RESOURCE

Watch this performance of "Wake Up" by The Arcade Fire

BENEDICTION

Hosanna to the Son of David!

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!

Hosanna in the highest heaven!

Amen.